📖 Meaning
To bring good governance and stability to the nation so that the common people can live in peace and prosperity. It describes a ruler or leader's noble ambition to benefit society and ensure the well-being of all citizens. The phrase embodies the Confucian ideal of benevolent statecraft.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom first appears in the 'Old Book of Tang' (《旧唐书·太宗本纪上》), in a passage describing the young Li Shimin, who would later become Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty. A physiognomist, upon seeing the boy's extraordinary appearance — described as having 'the bearing of a dragon and phoenix, the visage of heaven and sun' — predicted that by the age of twenty, he would surely be one who could 'aid the world and bring peace to the people' (济世安民). The prophecy proved accurate, as Taizong went on to become one of China's most celebrated emperors, ushering in the golden age known as the 'Reign of Zhenguan' (贞观之治). The idiom has since been used to praise leaders with grand aspirations to govern wisely and benefit humanity.
💡 Example Usage
他自幼胸怀济世安民之志，终成一代明君。
From a young age, he harbored the ambition to bring peace and prosperity to the realm, and ultimately became an enlightened ruler of his era.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 济世安民
- Pinyin: jì shì ān mín
- Literal Translation: aid, world, pacify, people
- Category: Leadership
- Characters: 4